Tide is an evocative exploration of love between two young women grappling with the echoes of trauma from sexual assault and the pain of familial loss. Set against the backdrop of a silent retreat by the ocean, this poignant narrative unfolds like a striking oil painting, blending melancholy with romance. The stage transforms from a blank canvas, armed only with three bottles of red, blue, and yellow paint, into a vibrant medium for expression. As the story progresses, the two actors engage in a dynamic interplay of colour and emotion, culminating in a powerful and forbidden kiss infused with paint—a metaphor for their complex relationship.
Performed as part of the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 we sat down with producer, writer and director Petunia Hu in the lead up to the festival to learn more about the piece.
What can you tell me about your show?
Tide follows two girls, Luna and Cordelia, who meet at a rehabilitation center by the ocean—a place that promises healing but enforces silence and isolation. Cordelia is haunted by the trauma of sexual assault, and Luna by the loss of her sister. Under the watch of guards, they find each other in stolen moments after curfew and in the click of a camera that captures what words cannot.
How would you describe the style of the show?
Experimental and poetic. Our ensemble is interested in exploring how healing and memory can be expressed through movement and color rather than words. Luna and Cordelia’s love unfolds not in dialogue, but in the visual poetry of a playful “paint fight.” With bottles of red, blue, and yellow paint, the actors transform the stage into a living canvas. As the characters change, so does the world around them.
How do/will you prepare for the Fringe?
Lots and lots of rehearsal. We spend a long time figuring out how to balance creativity with practicality when using paint on stage. There has to be enough color for the audience to feel its impact, but it also has to flow naturally with the actors’ choreography. And then there’s the less glamorous side: scrubbing paint out of costumes and rushing to dry them with a hair dryer just hours before the next show.
Other than the show, what’s something you’re looking forward to doing in Edinburgh this year?
We’re excited to dive into all the touristy things, from beach trips to the National Museum of Scotland. We’ve also planned plenty of theatre marathons and can’t wait to experience as many different shows as possible.
Give me a random fact about you/the show?
It took us two flights to get to Edinburgh, and somehow we managed to fit all our props into an extremely limited baggage allowance. We’re tired but excited!
It took us two flights to get to Edinburgh, and somehow we managed to fit all our props into an extremely limited baggage allowance. We’re tired but excited!
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
I hope audiences can walk alongside Luna and Cordelia through the journey of an unrealized love—gentle, graceful, and tinged with melancholy. I want them to sit with the messy poetry of the canvas, to recognize that growth is never linear, and to feel that healing is lived with rather than neatly resolved. More than anything, I hope they leave with a smudge of color on their skin, carrying a fragment of the story on their own body.
I hope audiences can walk alongside Luna and Cordelia through the journey of an unrealized love—gentle, graceful, and tinged with melancholy. I want them to sit with the messy poetry of the canvas, to recognize that growth is never linear, and to feel that healing is lived with rather than neatly resolved. More than anything, I hope they leave with a smudge of color on their skin, carrying a fragment of the story on their own body.
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